Hillsboro tops Findlay in 11 innings
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — Following the third inning Sunday at Shaffer Park the score was tied at three, and neither the Hillsboro Post 129 or Findlay Post 3 squads were able to bring home the go-ahead run.
Both teams had base runners throughout the remainder of the game, but it was small ball that prevailed with Ian Adams laying down a perfect bunt while a running Bryce Bean slid home for the eventual game-winning run in the 11th inning, putting the Post 129 club ahead 4-3, for a wooden bat victory over Post 3 in the first game of a tripleheader which also included Portsmouth Post 23.
The win put Hillsboro at 14-18 overall before their second game of the day against Portsmouth Post 23.
Hillsboro, the away team, began the 11th inning with Bean taking first on an infield throwing error, and as the ball rolled away from the first baseman, he turned the corner and reached second base safely. Bean took third on a bunt single down the third base line by Matt Carey.
Following the first out, the eventual winning run crossed home plate with Bean scoring on the aforementioned bunt by Adams.
"Both games against Findlay were tight (Hillsboro won 2-1 Saturday)," Hillsboro head coach Ritchie Butler said. "They were good wins, and it was good to get the 11-inning win since we had so much invested in it."
Early in the scheduled seven-inning game, the Post 129 club scored their first three runs all in the top of the third inning, where they sent the entire batting order to the plate.
The inning was a strange and possibly painful one at the plate for Hillsboro with players being hit by a pitch on three separate occasions.
Hillsboro began the third with Taylor Smucker being hit by a pitch on a 0-1 count, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Adams, moving Smucker to second base. A walk forced by Corey Walker and Nathaniel Miller getting hit by a pitch with two outs loaded the bases for Hillsboro.
The first Hillsboro RBI came from Tyler Campbell as he took a pitch to the body, bringing home Smucker, tying the game at one. Luke Meyer forced a walk to score Walker, and the third Hillsboro run scored when Bean forced a walk (on a 3-2 count), allowing Miller to touch home plate.
The 11-inning contest forced Hillsboro to use three pitchers, with Jacob Dillon starting the game, followed with Brandon Carter and Zach Uhl capping off the game. The Highland County trio of pitchers finished with 158 pitches, with Dillon tossing 75 pitches, Carter 21 and Uhl with 62.
Dillon went the first five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk. He collected four strikeouts for the no-decision.
Carter faced six batters, allowing no runs on one hit. He struck out one batter in his 1 2-3 innings in relief.
Uhl pitched 4 1-3 innings of relief for the win. He entered the game with the score tied at three in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on second. He finished by gaining the win by striking out four batters, including the final two batters in the 11th inning. Uhl allowed no runs on two hits and two walks.
"Our pitching was excellent in this game," Butler said. "We kept battling, and three to four weeks ago we may have dropped this game. When you have players from five different counties on the same team, it is a process, and we are starting to hit our stride."
Findlay scored their three runs in the first and third innings. Their first run came on an error with Hillsboro being in the wrong spots on the field, allowing the ball thrown to third to roll away for the first run of the game. The second and third Post 3 runs came in the third.
Hillsboro finished with seven hits, including Adams finishing 2-for-4 with two sacrifice bunts.[[In-content Ad]]
Both teams had base runners throughout the remainder of the game, but it was small ball that prevailed with Ian Adams laying down a perfect bunt while a running Bryce Bean slid home for the eventual game-winning run in the 11th inning, putting the Post 129 club ahead 4-3, for a wooden bat victory over Post 3 in the first game of a tripleheader which also included Portsmouth Post 23.
The win put Hillsboro at 14-18 overall before their second game of the day against Portsmouth Post 23.
Hillsboro, the away team, began the 11th inning with Bean taking first on an infield throwing error, and as the ball rolled away from the first baseman, he turned the corner and reached second base safely. Bean took third on a bunt single down the third base line by Matt Carey.
Following the first out, the eventual winning run crossed home plate with Bean scoring on the aforementioned bunt by Adams.
"Both games against Findlay were tight (Hillsboro won 2-1 Saturday)," Hillsboro head coach Ritchie Butler said. "They were good wins, and it was good to get the 11-inning win since we had so much invested in it."
Early in the scheduled seven-inning game, the Post 129 club scored their first three runs all in the top of the third inning, where they sent the entire batting order to the plate.
The inning was a strange and possibly painful one at the plate for Hillsboro with players being hit by a pitch on three separate occasions.
Hillsboro began the third with Taylor Smucker being hit by a pitch on a 0-1 count, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Adams, moving Smucker to second base. A walk forced by Corey Walker and Nathaniel Miller getting hit by a pitch with two outs loaded the bases for Hillsboro.
The first Hillsboro RBI came from Tyler Campbell as he took a pitch to the body, bringing home Smucker, tying the game at one. Luke Meyer forced a walk to score Walker, and the third Hillsboro run scored when Bean forced a walk (on a 3-2 count), allowing Miller to touch home plate.
The 11-inning contest forced Hillsboro to use three pitchers, with Jacob Dillon starting the game, followed with Brandon Carter and Zach Uhl capping off the game. The Highland County trio of pitchers finished with 158 pitches, with Dillon tossing 75 pitches, Carter 21 and Uhl with 62.
Dillon went the first five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk. He collected four strikeouts for the no-decision.
Carter faced six batters, allowing no runs on one hit. He struck out one batter in his 1 2-3 innings in relief.
Uhl pitched 4 1-3 innings of relief for the win. He entered the game with the score tied at three in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on second. He finished by gaining the win by striking out four batters, including the final two batters in the 11th inning. Uhl allowed no runs on two hits and two walks.
"Our pitching was excellent in this game," Butler said. "We kept battling, and three to four weeks ago we may have dropped this game. When you have players from five different counties on the same team, it is a process, and we are starting to hit our stride."
Findlay scored their three runs in the first and third innings. Their first run came on an error with Hillsboro being in the wrong spots on the field, allowing the ball thrown to third to roll away for the first run of the game. The second and third Post 3 runs came in the third.
Hillsboro finished with seven hits, including Adams finishing 2-for-4 with two sacrifice bunts.[[In-content Ad]]